A cleaning agent is often specific to a certain area of cleaning. One area of cleaning may be for a dishwashing machine. Another area of cleaning may be for clothes and cloth such as cleaning with a washing machine for laundry.
In a dishwashing machine it is necessary to remove the food from the dishes. As is well known, food will dry to dishes and tableware. Food which is dried onto the dishes and tableware is often difficult to remove. In certain instances a person is in a hurry and will not have the time to wash the dishes immediately after eating. The person may allow the food to dry on the dishes for three or four days. For example, a person may eat breakfast and have eggs and the yolk of the eggs may dry on the dishes and tableware. The removal of dried egg yolk on dishes and tableware is difficult. In other instances the person may have spread peanut butter on bread or toast or muffins and allowed some of the peanut butter to stick to the tableware and also to a plate. The removal of the peanut butter from the tableware and the plate is difficult. A dishwashing compound for use in a mechanical dishwasher or automatic dishwasher is designed to be used at a temperature above 140.degree. F. and also contains a high phosphorus content, usually, as trisodium phosphate. The high temperature of above 140.degree. F. makes it possible for the cleaning agent to work more rapidly on the food on the plate and on the tableware. The trisodium phosphate is a well-known and good cleaning agent. In an aqueous solution at a high temperature the trisodium phosphate does a good job on cleaning the dishes and the tableware. Also, in a dishwashing compound for use in an automatic dishwasher it is necessary to prevent the deposition of a particulate on the glassware or to prevent spots on the glassware. The deposition of a small particulate on tableware and also on dishes does not readily show and most people will not observe the deposition of small particulate matter on these objects. However, with glassware, the deposition of particulate on the glass does show. As a result, it is necessary that the dishwashing compound used in an automatic dishwashing machine be such as to prevent the deposition of particulates on the glassware.
A cleaning agent for use in automatic washing machines for cleaning clothes must remove the contaminants from the cloth and also prevent the deposition of particulates on the cloth. The temperature at which the water is in an automatic washing machine can be adjusted depending upon the material being washed. The cleaning agents used in an automatic washing machine quite often comprise a phosphate such as trisodium phosphate. The trisodium phosphate, again, is a good cleaning agent and will remove impurities on cloth. Further, it is necessary to prevent the deposition of particulate on the cloth after the impurities have been removed from the cloth.
In the preparation of this patent application, I went to the supermarket and bought three popular types of dishwashing compound for use with an automatic dishwasher and also purchased three detergents for use in an automatic washing machine.
On the lable of the first dishwashing compound there was stated that this dishwashing compound: "contains ingredients to soften water (complex sodium phosphates), to prevent the water spotting of glassware (chlorinated trisodium phosphate and nonionic surfactant) and to protect china surfaces and washer parts (sodium silicate), plus small quantities of suds control agent, colorant and perfume."and there was also stated this dishwashing compound "formula averages 12.9% phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, which is equivalent to 3.1 grams per 2 tablespoons use level."
A second dishwashing compound for use in an automatic dishwasher stated on the label: "contains water softening agent, complex sodium phosphate; corrosion inhibitor, sodium silicate; for cleaning and prevention of water spots on glassware, chlorinated phosphate and nonionic surfactant; and suds regulating agent." There is also stated on the label that this dishwashing compound "contains 12.9% phosphorus in the form of phosphates which is equivalent to 3.0 grams per use assuming 2 tablespoons per load."
A third dishwashing compound for use in an automatic dishwashing machine did not state what the ingredients were, but did state on the label this dishwashing compound "averages not more than 8.7% phosphorous, in the form of phosphates, which is equivalent to 2.4 grams per 2 tablespoons use level."
From the foregoing it is seen that the three dishwashing compounds contain phosphorus as phosphates. In the foregoing part of this patent application, it was stated that tridsodium phosphate is a good cleaning agent and is often used in cleaning agents and in detergents.
All three of the foregoing dishwashing compounds recommended that the temperature be at least 140.degree. F. Again, a high temperature for the water means that there will be a high activity rate for the cleaning agent on the plates, tableware and glass.
With respect to the detergent for use in an automatic washing machine the first detergent that I purchased had on the label the following: "Cleaning agents (anionic surfactants), water softeners (complex sodium phosphates, sodium carbonate), color-safe oxygen bleach (sodium perborate) processing aids (sodium sulfate), washer protection agents, fabric whitener, colorant, perfume and an agent to prevent deposition." Also, on the label there was stated this detergent "formula averages 7.2% phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, which is equivalent to 5.5 grams per 3/4 cup use level."
The second detergent for use in automatic washing machines stated on the label: "contains surfactant, linear alkylate sulfonate; water conditioning agents, complex sodium phosphates and sodium carbonate; processing aid, sodium sulfate; corrosion inhibitor, sodium silicate; moisture; soil suspending agent; fabric brightener and perfume." Also, there was stated on the label that this detergent "formula averages 6.1% phosphorus in the form of phosphates, which is equivalent to 4.7 grams per 1 cup use level."
The third detergent for use in automatic washing machines stated on the label: "Cleaning agents (anionic surfactants), water softeners (complex sodium phosphates, sodium carbonate), processing aids (sodium sulfate), washer protection agents, fabric whitener, perfume and an agent to prevent deposition."Further, it was stated on the label this detergent "formula averages 8.2% phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, which is equivalent to 6.3 grams per 3/4 cup use level."
The three above detergents or cleaning agents for use in automatic washing machines for clothes and cloth all contain phosphorus as phosphates and as sodium phosphates. Again, trisodium phosphate is a good cleaning agent and is often used as a supplement to other components in a cleaning agent.
The use of phosphorus compounds, from an ecological standpoint, is not desirable as phosphorus compounds are considered to be pollutants. A source of pollution in water and aqueous solutions, such as a lake, ocean, river and the like, is a cleaning agent comprising phosphates such as a complex sodium phosphate or a trisodium phosphate.
Within the last few years there has been a tendency and desire to try to use cleaning agents that do not contain a phosphate such as trisodium phosphate. This has been difficult as trisodium phosphate is, generally, inexpensive and is a fine cleaning agent. The development of cleaning agents which do not contain a phosphate has been difficult.
From the foregoing it is seen that the phosphorus content expressed as a phosphate is higher or more concentrated for an automatic dishwashing machine for removing food from plates and tableware as compared with a cleaning agent used in a laundry in an automatic washing machine for removing impurities from cloth. The reason for this is that the removal of food from tableware and plates is more difficult than the removal of an impurity from a cloth. The higher concentration of the trisodium phosphate as a cleaning agent for use in an automatic dishwasher as compared for use in an automatic washing machine makes it possible to remove the food from the plates and tableware. It is questionable if one of the above-identified cleaning agents for use in an automatic washing machine would be appropriate and would function in an automatic dishwashing machine. The concentration of the trisodium phosphate in the cleaning agent for an automatic washing machine is too low for use in an automatic dishwasher. The cleaning agents used in automatic washing machines will not clean the food from plates and the tableware in an automatic dishwashing machine. To try to insure the removal of food from plates and tableware in an automatic dishwashing machine the concentration of the phosphates such as trisodium phosphate must be relatively high. The relatively high concentration of the trisodium phosphate or the complex sodium phosphate means that the pH of the aqueous solution in the automatic dishwasher would be in the range of about 11. With the cleaning agent for use in an automatic washing machine the pH will not reach to 11 in an automatic dishwasher. The pH of a cleaning agent for use in an automatic washing machine, when used in an automatic dishwasher would be less than 11 because the aqueous solution is being continuously discharged as compared with the washing process of an automatic washing machine being a batch process during part of the cleaning for the washing cylce.
With this background of cleaning agents used in automatic dishwashing machines and also automatic washing machines, I have developed a cleaning agent which is free of a phosphorus compound such as a sodium phosphate or a complex sodium phosphate or trisodium phosphate and also can be used in an automatic dishwashing machine and in an automatic washing machine for clothes.